Washington, D.C. – Congressman Josh Brecheen introduced the Patriotism Not Pride Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer resources to promote Pride Month or any similar event. The bill also prohibits the display of flags representing gender identity or sexual orientation by agencies on federal property.
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 29, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt sent a letter to all tribes whose tobacco compacts are set to expire this year, reiterating his previous call to extend the compacts previously negotiated by Oklahoma's Governor and tribal counterparts.
The letter reads, in part: "It is my sincere hope that this letter paves the way toward an agreement that will benefit all 4 million Oklahomans... I extend this offer in good faith and remain steadfast in my belief that we must find common ground to move our state forward."
Ouch. This audit is pretty bad. State Auditor Cindy Byrd has released an audit of federally-funded grants (mainly COVID relief/stimulus money), finding about $30,000,000 in "questioned costs". This audit is federally-mandated, and could end up with the State of Oklahoma having to repay the misspent funds.
It pretty much comes down to an atmosphere of lackadaisical oversight, careless implementation, and seemingly outright intentions to flout spending rules. A proto-school choice program pushed by Gov. Stitt and then-Secretary of Education (now State Superintendent) Ryan Walters draws specific attention in the scathing report.
Here are some additional news articles to read on the audit:
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (June 27, 2023) Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd released today the Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during SFY 2021 which includes pandemic funds. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of how the State of Oklahoma spends federal grant money and whether the State complied with federal regulations.
The story of Oklahoma college tuition usually falls into one of three patterns.
Lawmakers cut college appropriations and colleges raise tuition, blaming the lack of appropriations.
Or lawmakers provide steady appropriations, and colleges raise tuition, blaming the lack of increased appropriations.
Or lawmakers increase appropriations, and colleges still raise tuition, blaming lawmakers for not doing more.
This year, we’re seeing the third scenario play out at the University of Oklahoma.
Washington, D.C. (June 26th) – Congressman Josh Brecheen will hold in-person town hall meetings on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29. Constituents are invited to attend and share their thoughts and ask questions on policy issues impacting Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma.
Pregnancy, especially when it is unexpected, is a “heart issue” that involves a mom, a dad, a baby, and their families. Unfortunately, our culture often speaks about the issue of life flippantly and with political motivation, causing these already complicated conversations to get more complicated, more caustic, and more divisive.
I believe all people—all people—are created in the image of God, have value and worth, and deserve to be treated with respect. I believe I have a responsibility to speak up for the lives of the children who have no way to speak for themselves. Babies are not disposable; they are valuable. Babies are not an inconvenience; they are lives full of potential and worth.
Maybe we just need to resolve the most basic of questions: when is a child a child?
State of Oklahoma to offer Surplus and Save event at historic office building
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 26, 2023) – On July 7, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) will hold Surplus and Save, an estate sale-style event where the general public can purchase a wide range of items from the Jim Thorpe Office Building.
As the historic Jim Thorpe Building undergoes renovations, an extensive selection of surplus items will be available for public purchase at discounted prices. Attendees will have the chance to browse and buy various items, including office furniture, courtroom furniture, office equipment and supplies, artwork, appliances, storage solutions, TVs and more.
But Cherokee Nation budget documents obtained by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs indicate that the tribe at least considered, and may have used, vehicle revenue for political activity.
The Cherokee Nation acknowledges that some money generated by its motor-tag compacts with the state of Oklahoma has been used for electoral activity, but the amount of money tribal officials say was spent and the uses made of that money differ dramatically from the amounts and uses outlined in a tribal budget document provided by a whistleblower.
Broadly speaking, a conservative champions free markets, limited government, individual initiative, personal responsibility, and empowering families.
Progressives’ view, in practice, can be summed up in this quote from former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
Need examples of progressives exploiting problems and crises? Government distortions and intervention in health care have caused massive health-care cost growth, and then government by way of Obamacare created a $1 trillion-plus government welfare program that raises health care costs further. Government overreach and government spending fuels significant inflation growth. So then progressives responded with an “inflation reduction act” that didn’t lower or eliminate government-caused inflation, but instead increased tax burdens through massive green energy subsidies.
Since progressives often want to seize problems to expand government control, conservatives must think long-term and solve public-policy concerns before they metastasize and the public entertains the left’s command approach.
I'm a bit behind on posting these, but Oklahoma's 2nd District Congressman Josh Brecheen recently filed two pieces of legislation, the Stop Government Overreach in Ranching Act and the Healthy SNAP Act.
The Stop Government Overreach in Ranching Act would reverse FDA guidance, “GFI 263,” which restricts the use of commonly used livestock antibiotics, such as penicillin. This has put added expense and hardship upon the those involved in agriculture and livestock. The Healthy SNAP Act would exclude soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts from being purchased with SNAP benefits (informally known as food stamps).
Read below for more details on both:
WASHINGTON, DC (June 21st) — Representative Kevin Hern’s (OK-01) legislation, HR 3799, the CHOICE Arrangements Act, passed the House of Representatives this afternoon 220-209 and is headed to the Senate. HR 3799, which passed the Ways and Means Committee last week, would allow employees to use money from their employer to buy a healthcare plan that works best for them.
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 22nd) – Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, today expressed his anger after receiving news that the Oklahoma Veterans Commission voted 5-0 to close the Talihina Veterans Center, effective immediately.
"This means 36 families have just 90 days to find a place to care for their loved ones," Grego said. "This is a disruption and a disgrace to these veterans who faithfully sacrificed and served our nation and to their families who want to keep their loved ones nearby."
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 19, 2023)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small said the recent tuition hike approved by OU is unjustified and shows the university is not serious about its mission of providing a quality, affordable education to Oklahomans.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Josh Brecheen will hold in-person town hall meetings on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29. Constituents are invited to attend and share their thoughts and ask questions on policy issues impacting Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma.
Free speech and public debate are necessary ingredients of a democratic government, which is why the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrines free speech as a basic right. But that hasn’t stopped some entities from trying to do an end run on that fundamental right, including here in Oklahoma.
One tactic used by free-speech opponents is a “strategic lawsuit against public participation” (SLAPP) lawsuit. In such lawsuits, a person or entity files a lawsuit, typically for defamation, against a public-policy opponent. The lawsuits are frivolous. Those filing have no real expectation of court victory. Instead, they use lawsuits to generate significant legal expenses for their public-policy opponents and bankrupt or financially hamstring their opponents.
WASHINGTON, DC (June 1st) – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is leading the Oklahoma congressional delegation on a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra for suspending the $4.5 million Title X Family Planning grant awarded to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). HHS is suspending this funding over the OSDH’s refusal to refer for abortions.
Leading Oklahoma Conservative and Trump Appointee Jim Bridenstine Endorses Gov. Ron DeSantis for President
ATLANTA, Ga. (June 8, 2023) – Leading conservative, previous Trump-appointed NASA administrator, and former Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine has endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the next President of the United States. The announcement follows the endorsement of 20 Oklahoma state legislators backing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bid for the White House.
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 8th) – A bill highlighting Oklahoma’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement has been signed into law. Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, and Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, [pictured above] are the Senate principal authors of Senate Bill 509, creating the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail, and the House principal authors are Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City.
ATLANTA, Ga. (June 7th) – 20 state senators and representatives in the Oklahoma legislature have endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the next President of the United States ahead of the governor’s trip to Tulsa on Saturday, June 10th.
Florida Governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is coming to Tulsa this weekend for a campaign stop. The event was announced earlier today by Never Back Down, the super PAC campaigning for DeSantis.
Attendance is free but does require reserving a ticket.
Among Oklahoma all-GOP delegation, Sen. James Lankford and Reps. Kevin Hern (1st District) and Josh Brecheen (2nd District) voted against it. Sen. Markwayne Mullin joined the moderate wing of the Senate GOP in supporting the measure, as did Reps. Frank Lucas (3rd District), Tom Cole (4th District), and Stephanie Bice (5th District) in the House.
Below are statements from those members who have issued them since the vote (Hern appears to be the only one without a public comment).
Special interest attempts to force automatic renewal of existing tobacco and license-tag compacts will create enormous challenges for the state.
The legal reality that undergirded current compacts is under attack by special interests who are inaccurately wielding the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which declared the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Oklahoma reservation was never formally disestablished for purposes of federal major-crimes law, in an effort to exploit that decision.
Read below for comments from House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson and Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd:
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 2, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt let the state budget for fiscal year 2024 go into law without his signature, subject to objections. The package included the general appropriations bill, HB 1004x. The governor shared his reasoning in a message filed with the bill:
Below are comments from Gov. Kevin Stitt, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, and State Sens. David Bullard and Julie Daniels, and the Oklahoma Republican Party (Chairman State Sen. Nathan Dahm, Vice Chair Wayne Hill, and National Committeewoman Pam Pollard):
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 26th) – Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today commented on the conclusion of today’s regular session that began in February.
The pro tem said the Senate Republican caucus was more united than ever before and built momentum going into the summer, which he hopes to carry into next year.
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 1, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt commits to sending Oklahoma National Guard Troops to the Southern Border in the wake of President Biden’s failure to secure and protect our nation. The commitment comes in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s call for reinforcements as Texas responds to the ongoing crisis.
Washington, D.C. (June 1st) – Congressman Josh Brecheen will hold an in-person town hall meeting on Friday, June 2nd and a telephone town hall on Tuesday, June 6th.
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 1st) – In reaction to this year's nearly $13 billion general appropriations' bill, State Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, and Rick West, R-Heavener, have proposed capping future legislative appropriations, retaining only what is necessary to be responsible in savings for a rainy day and sending back to the taxpayer any excess funds.
WASHINGTON, DC (June 1st) – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today voted to overturn President Biden’s student loan cancelation scheme. Lankford joined Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and their colleagues to introduce the resolution to overturn Biden’s debt transfer, which would pass up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower onto taxpayers, costing an estimated $400 billion. The resolution passed in a vote of 51-46.
